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NFL Offseason Guide to Workouts Contact Regulations

The NFL offseason begins to heat up once offseason workouts begin, but there's a lot of rules and regulations that dictate when and how teams are able to do so.

Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

Seven NFL teams have started or will begin Phase 1 of their offseason workout program in the coming weeks.

Under new rules in the league's collective bargaining agreement, offseason programs have been reduced from 14 weeks to nine per team. The number of organized team activities, practices defined by offseason rules, has been cut from 14 to 10.

With increased player safety in mind, the CBA has essentially made offseason workouts a voluntary nine-week routine that unfolds in three phases:

– Phase one runs two weeks and activities are limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation.

– Phase two is a three-week stretch during which on-field workouts are allowed. However, they are limited to individual player instruction and drills as well as team practice conducted on a "separate'' basis, according to a league release. No live contact is permitted and team offense vs. team defense is prohibited.

– Activity ramps up during Phase three, which consists of the Organized Team Activities (OTAs). Teams are allowed to hold a maximum of 10 OTA sessions. No live contact is allowed, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

Per the CBA, teams with new head coaches get a two-week head start on Phase 1, which includes meeting with players and conditioning work. That means the Washington Redskins (Jay Gruden), Cleveland Browns (coach Mike Pettine), Detroit Lions (Jim Caldwell), Houston Texans (Bill O'Brien), Minnesota Vikings (Mike Zimmer), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Lovie Smith) and Tennessee Titans (Ken Whisenhunt) all can start their offseason programs next week.

Below is the schedule of offseason workouts for all 32 clubs as released by NFL:

Arizona Cardinals
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-22, May 27-29, June 2-5.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12.

Atlanta Falcons
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-4, June 10-13.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Baltimore Ravens
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 3-5, June 9-10, June 12-13.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Buffalo Bills
First Day: April 22.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 2, June 4-5, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Carolina Panthers
First Day: April 21
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 3-5, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Chicago Bears
First Day: April 22.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Cincinnati Bengals
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 3-5, June 16-18.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12.

Cleveland Browns
First Day: April 7.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5-6.
Voluntary Minicamp: April 29-May 1.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12.

Dallas Cowboys
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2, June 4-5, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Denver Broncos
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 2-4, June 16-19.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12.

Detroit Lions
First Day: April 7.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-22, May 27-29, June 2-5.
Voluntary Minicamp: April 22-24.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12.

Green Bay Packers
First Day: April 22.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 3-5, June 10-13.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Houston Texans
First Day: April 7.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13.
Voluntary Minicamp: May 6-8.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Indianapolis Colts
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-4, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Jacksonville Jaguars
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Kansas City Chiefs
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 3-5, June 10-13.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Miami Dolphins
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Minnesota Vikings
First Day: April 7.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 3-5, June 9-12.
Voluntary Minicamp: April 29-May 1.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

New England Patriots
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27, May 29-30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19

New Orleans Saints
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 3-5, June 16-19.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12.

New York Giants
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

New York Jets
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-28, May 30, June 2, June 4-5, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Oakland Raiders
First Day: April 22.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Philadelphia Eagles
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Pittsburgh Steelers
First Day: April 22.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 3-5, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19

St. Louis Rams
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: June 3, June 5-6, June 9-10, June 12, June 16-17, June 19-20.
Mandatory Minicamp: None.

San Diego Chargers
First Day: April 22.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-4, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

San Francisco 49ers
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Seattle Seahawks
First Day: April 21.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
First Day: April 7.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-22, May 27-29, June 2-5.
Voluntary Minicamp: April 22-24.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12.

Tennessee Titans
First Day: April 7.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12.
Voluntary Minicamp: April 29-May 1.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.

Washington Redskins
First Day: April 7.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-4, June 9-12.
Voluntary Minicamp: April 29-May 1.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19.